Gust Rosenfeld adds 2 capital members, elects 4 partner

Gust Rosenfeld announced that Barry M. Markson and William S. Sowders were elected capital members of the firm. Kyle B. Bate, Shelby M. Exposito, J.T. Shoaf, and Trish Stuhan were elected to the firm’s partnership.

“We are proud to have each of these attorneys join our partnership. All of them share our commitment to our clients, the community, and Arizona,” said Tom Chauncey, a member of the Executive Committee of the firm. “We value the relationship we have with each of them. They each have developed a high level of professional and personal excellence that makes our partnership better.”

About the New Capital Members

Barry M. Markson – Phoenix, Insurance Defense and Litigation

Barry practices in the areas of civil/commercial litigation, professional liability defense, premises liability defense, defamation, construction defect, environmental/toxic tort, products liability, governmental liability, civil rights, personal injury defense, bad faith and insurance coverage. He also serves as a mediator and arbitrator in various civil litigation and insurance related matters, including insurance coverage, bad faith claims, catastrophic injury, product liability and cases involving public entities.

William S. Sowders – Phoenix, Insurance, Tort, and Litigation

William (Bill) possesses extensive litigation and trial experience in the areas of products liability, medical malpractice, healthcare, transportation, and personal injury. He has appeared before state and federal courts in Arizona, California and Nevada.

About the New Partners

Kyle B. Bate – Phoenix, Tax and Estate Planning

Kyle’s estate planning practice includes wills, trusts, and probate and trust administration. He works with businesses and nonprofit organizations on entity formation and business matters. He also advises businesses and individuals on various tax issues and dealings with the International Revenue Service.

Shelby M. Exposito – Phoenix, Public Finance and Employment

Shelby focuses her practice on advising public entities, with an emphasis on public finance and education. She serves as bond counsel for cities, community facilities districts, and other issuers throughout Arizona on various types of tax-exempt financings, such as general obligation bonds, special assessment bonds, and excise tax obligations. She also advises special taxing districts on budget and election matters.

J.T. Shoaf – Phoenix, Insurance Defense and Litigation

J.T.’s practice includes a broad range of insurance defense, civil litigation, and complex commercial litigation matters. He represents clients in litigation matters dealing with construction defect, aviation and airline liability, insurance coverage, bad faith claims, personal injury, medical malpractice, healthcare, and products liability. J.T. has also handles environmental litigation matters.

Trish Stuhan – Phoenix, Public Law and Creditors’ Rights

Trish’s practice includes public law, civil litigation, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, and employment law. She advises cities and towns on open meeting law, conflicts of interest, public records, administrative investigations, and sexual harassment and discrimination claims. She also handles condemnation and breach of contract claims for municipalities. On the creditors’ side, she focuses on student loan workouts, credit union services, and bankruptcy.

Ogletree Deakins expands in Phoenix

Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, announce that Sonya Boun has joined the firm’s Phoenix office as of counsel. She joins the firm from Jackson Lewis.

Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Sonya Boun has joined the firm’s Phoenix office as of counsel. She joins the firm from Jackson Lewis.

Boun’s practice involves counseling employers on workplace issues in the areas of disability and leave management, wage and hour, record-keeping requirements, employment contracts, performance management, non-compete/solicitation agreements, whistleblower claims, wrongful termination claims, and harassment, discrimination, and retaliation issues. She has represented employers in state and federal agencies, state and federal court, and personnel hearings.

She also has experience conducting trainings. She has conducted local and national training of executives, management, and human resources teams in employment-related topics, including: leave and reasonable accommodation issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act; handling complaints made pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act; respectful workplace and unconscious bias issues; bystander intervention; and conducting effective workplace investigations.

Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie attorney joins Phoenix office

Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP announce that Adam Reich has joined the firm’s Phoenix office as an associate in the Litigation practice.

Reich practices is primarily focused on commercial litigation, business and personal injury torts, personal injury torts and products liability. He has represented clients in numerous jurisdictions around the country in both federal and state court and co-authored, “Sentencing in Arizona,” an article focused on recommendations to reduce costs and crime in Arizona through sentencing reform. Reich is a member of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel and has been recognized as a Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2014. 

Reich received his J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, graduating with honors, Order of the Coif and Order of Barristers, and his B.A. from Arizona State University.  

Rusty Foley to retire from Arizona Citizens for the Arts

Catherine Foley, better known among arts advocates and supporters statewide as Rusty, will retire as Executive Director of Arizona Citizens for the Arts (AzCA) in June.

A national search committee has been organized to identify candidates for the position.  Foley will remain with the organization through the transition period.

“Rusty Foley has left an indelible mark on Arizona’s arts and culture landscape, not just during her tenure with Arizona Citizens for the Arts, but during a long corporate career in which she served in leadership positions for many nonprofit organizations,” said AzCA Board President Michael Seiden.  “For Arizona Citizens for the Arts, her leadership, direction and advocacy, particularly in efforts to ensure state funding for the Arizona Commission on the Arts, have significantly impacted arts and culture organizations and those who love and support them statewide.”

Foley was named executive director in July 2011 after serving on the board of directors beginning in 2003 and as chair.  As an arts advocate, she also has served as a board member of Arizona Theatre Company, Childsplay and the Phoenix Art Museum Corporate Council.  

“Having previously enjoyed a rewarding career in the corporate world, it has been the honor of my life to lend whatever skills and talents I’ve learned to promoting the value of the arts,” Foley said. “While I don’t consider myself an artist, the arts were integral to my own education and have been a constant source of joy and enrichment in my life. I firmly believe our lives are happier and healthier and our communities are stronger because of the presence of the arts.”